Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all.

Probably a simple question for most, but as the previous owner of my van replaced the engine for a refurbished one some 35,000 miles ago, I am unsure which engine I currently run. No issues at present, but I am making a safe assumption I would need to know in future.

It's an 89 T25 watercooled, but I recognise it is possible that the previous engine swap was not like-for-like.

Similarly the carb, I often see posts regarding different carbs, so am curious which is present in my van.

Just to add - I am not having issues, but this is more a curiosity for me.
Is there a simple way to tell?

Thanks in advance.

There is a lot of good info in the wiki

Start by finding the engine number its just below the oil breather tower behind fanbelt
have a lose look at carb it shoukd say pierburg 2e on it get the part number off it to be 100% and post it up

Get some engine pics up and we can tell you if things are wrong

Hi Itchyfeet.

The carb has Solex 34PICT - 5 written on it.
I couldn't locate the engine number - well I found a 4 digit number 2302, but that can't be it as it's too short - I hope the photo helps?

The engine number will be under a load of black filth, on the vertical face immediately below that black vertical cylinder next to the alternator.
Its partly obscured by the alternator stay arm.

silverbullet wrote:The engine number will be under a load of black filth, on the vertical face immediately below that black vertical cylinder next to the alternator.
Its partly obscured by the alternator stay arm.

Weird - that's where the 2302 is stamped ( with a funny symbol before that ), but that's surely too short for an engine number?

what sort of symbol is it an asterix or a little VW logo?

not to short if it's a VW replacement engine

Looking at the picture I see the distributor is 180 deg out, not a bother but there it is.
Late cooling system, but the carb really should be a pierburg 2e3, the solex you have, was fitted to the lower powered DF engine.

(The recon symbol is a VW badge inside two arrows making a circle)

2302 sounds like vw recon week 23 2002

looks like a df dizzy, df carb so may be a df



normal number looks like this * means recon afaik

Thanks all.

Yep - that's it - VW symbol with arrows around it, then 2303...

Is that therefore a replacement engine from 2002 that has since been refurbished, or was it refurbished in 2002?
Then, what other differences were there between DG and DF that I could check to see which I have?

I assume carbs and dizzy's would be interchangeable, so what other differnces were there?

Itchyfeet - If you didn't see my last comment on the thread I was seeking help for a sluggish starting issue, I wanted to say thanks here for your help. All sorted now

Is there any performance impairment at all Kev, with the distributor 180 degrees out?

This also sounds like I have a pick-n-mix of a van going on doesn't it..!! ?

reconditioned in 2002

hard to tell between dg and df afaik, ancillaries are no guarantee
easiest way to check is to take the inlet manufold off head ports are smaller on df

get a pic of your main pulley timing marks, no guarantee but df is timed atdc

I think the star refers to all post-recall engines that had the later type bearings. The remanufactured ones have the VW arrow circle.

Ok - will check timing marks tomorrow. ( When it's light again. )
Failing that, I will investigate as and when needed I think. I don't want to dismantle anything if there are no running issues at present.

Thanks.

shows DG head and manufold with DF gasket on left, as you can see holes are smaller because DF heads have smaller ports

Ah, I see - the difference is quite obvious in your picture.

I will let you know what I find tomorrow. I have a feeling after this discussion that I have a DF engine that was installed in a later van using the existing later cooling set-up.
( I assume that would be possible ) and so it makes sense that the previous owner could have used the first recon engine he could lay his hands on, whether the original was DG or not.